Rack for storing and tying articles



Dec. 31, 1957 v. M. KEENE 2,

- RACK FOR STORING AND TYING ARTICLES I Filed May 1, 1955 r Jjb INVENTOR VIVIAN .;/;/v

whwvm *AITORNEY-S.

United States Patent RACK FOR STORING AND TYING ARTICLES Vivian M. Keene, Arkansas City, Kans.

Application May 1, 1953, Serial No. 352,440

Claims. (Cl. 211-50) My invention relates to racks and especially to a rack for stacking and tying sheet material, such as newspapers, magazines, sheets of paper, cloth and the like. More particularly, it combines an attractive piece of furniture with a highly useful device.

Heretofore magazines and newspapers tended to accumulate around the home for days or weeks before disposing of them. With my new rack, which serves as a table as well as a magazine or newspaper holder, these accumulated stacks may be easily tied in bundles and either stored or disposed of. As the newspapers and magazines are deposited from time to time, in regular order, it enables the user readily to find back numbers of papers or magazines.

There have been other racks devised to aid in the stacking and tying of bundles but these devices have not been constructed whereby a cord may be passed completely around the bundle without prior laying of the cord or threading or passing the cord through narrow openings.

Accordingly, an object of my invention is to provide a rack of the purposes heretofore mentioned in which the papers and magazines may be stacked to varying heights, as desired.

A further object of my invention is to provide a rack in which no string or cord need be placed before stacking.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a rack which alleviates the necessity of threading the cord through a small opening whereby contact with the cord is lost.

A further object of my invention is to combine in one structure an attractive article of furniture and a useful device for stacking and tying sheets of material in bundles and for tying packages generally.

Another object of my invention is to provide a rack for stacking and tying articles which may be cheaply and easily constructed from wood, metal or other appropriate material.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view showing the rack constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one end of the rack; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the front of the rack.

Referring more specifically to the drawing:

The rack comprises a horizontally disposed, table-like member 2, to the corners of which are secured upwardly extending legs 4, preferably converging upwardly as shown. To the upper ends of these legs are secured a plurality of open-topped, shelf-like corner members 6, each comprising a bottom 8 and substantially vertical side walls 10, substantially at right angles to the bottom and to each other. Preferably these side walls are inclined upwardly and outwardly as shown to allow for easy loading and unloading of the rack.

An important feature of the invention is that the four shelf-like corner members 6 are supported entirely independent of each other, on their respective legs 4, the adjacent horizontal edges 12 and the corresponding vertical edges 14 of the corner members define between them slots 16 which are open both at the top and bottom, so that a cord may be passed around a bundle resting in the corner members without any interference whatever with any part of the rack and without the necessity of threading the cord under or through a narrow opening.

The table-like member 2 may have vertical panels 18, secured to the table 2 and to the respective legs 4 for giving the necessary rigidity to the rack. If desired, a drawer 20 may be built into the shelf 2, passing through the vertical portions 18.

The rack also preferably includes one or more opentopped double walled holders 22, secured to the legs for bracing them and aiding in holding them in rigid position and to the table 2, for holding magazines or any desired articles.

While the preferred embodiment of my invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise structure shown, but may be carried out in other ways.

I claim:

1. An article of furniture for household use for the stacking of newspapers, magazines and the like comprising four supporting legs, four corner pieces carried at the top of the four legs, respectively, each corner piece being spaced from the two horizontal adjacent corner pieces for thereby defining two slots intersecting each other at the middle of each slot, each corner piece comprising a horizontal portion supported by said legs, respectively, and each further comprising two substantially vertical side and end portions, substantially perpendicular to its respective bottom portion and substantially perpendicular to each other, the adjacent vertical edges of the four corner pieces being spaced apart and defining between them four vertical slots, which are continuations of said two horizontal slots, each vertical slot being open at its top, whereby a retaining cord, in one continuous operation, may be passed through all of said vertical and horizontal slots and lengthwise and transversely around a bundle of papers supported by said four corner pieces, and a horizontally extending table member rigidly secured to each of said four legs for holding them in place, said table-like member being positioned a substantial distance below said four corner pieces.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an open topped, double walled trough-like member, secured to a pair of adjacent legs for bracing said legs and positioned at substantailly the level of said table member.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said table member comprises vertical panels secured to the respective legs for bracing said legs.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein said table member comprises vertical panels secured to the respective legs for bracing the legs, and an open topped, double walled, trough-like member, secured to a pair of adjacent legs for bracing said legs and positioned at substantially the level of said table member.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vertical side and end portions of the corner pieces diverge upwardly and outwardly.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 93,059 Walker Aug. 14, 1934 2,575,048 Dankert Nov. 13, 1951 2,636,432 Sherer Apr. 28, 1953 2,639,037 Friend May 19, 1953 

